5 lessons from America’s most hated companies

It takes a lot to make consumers hate you, but many large companies did admirably at it last year.

A recent report by 24/7 Wall Street revealed the organizations that excelled at alienation and gave several reasons companies large and small can take a hit in terms of public perception.

The site reviewed customer service metrics along with employee satisfaction, company policies and price performance to determine who earned the dubious distinction of “most hated companies in America.”

General Motors Company topped the 2014 list, with Sony, DISH Network, McDonald’s, Bank of America, Uber, Sprint, Spirit Airlines, Walmart and Comcast rounding out the top 10.

The following are five lessons PR and marketing pros can learn from the lowest of the low:

1. General Motors: Unfixed mistakes can be costly

General Motors was widely hated in 2014, thanks to several serious recalls including an ignition switch defect linked to 42 deaths. Those troubles and other led the company to recall a total of 34 million cars—racking up $2.7 million in costs—in just the first nine months of 2014.